The present invention is directed to a holder for small metallic items that are magnetizable such as paper clips, commonly known as gem clips. More particularly, the present invention is directed to such a gem clip holder or case which facilitates both retention and withdrawal of paper clips therefrom.
Paper clip cases and holders have been available for quite some time to retain small metallic objects that are magnetizable, notably paper clips, e.g., upon an office desk. There is a need to securely retain the gem clips in a case or holder so that the clips do not scatter; at the same time, there is a need to expedite withdrawal of such clips from the case in a smooth, quick manner. Attaining these needs has often been mutually exclusive.
For example, a prior art gem clip holder can be found in Japanese Patent Laid-Open HEI-2, (1990)-85184 which is directed to an easy-to-use handy case for storing small metallic utensils such as gem clips 12. According to this prior art embodiment, the container 2 holding the gem clips 12 moves along a cylinder 1, to come in contact with magnets 5a, 5b, 5c, positioned at the top of the cylinder 1. All the magnets 5a, 5b, 5c are installed along the cylinder 1 in overlapping fashion with magnetic force lines pointing in the same direction. The device disclosed in HEI.-2 (1990)-85184 can be unstable in that a large container 2 must move up and down a fairly narrow spindle or cylinder 1. Accordingly, there has been a need to design improved clip cases which do not suffer from the disadvantages of those in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved case or holder for small metallic utensils such as paper or gem clips.
It is a more detailed object of the present invention to provide such a gem clip case or holder which facilitates withdrawal of the clips therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a case or holder for gem clips which will securely retain individual clips therein and, at the same time, facilitate withdrawal of the clips therefrom.
These and other objects are attained by the present invention which is directed to a magnetic holder for paper clips or other magnetizable items, comprising a plurality of adjacent magnets arranged along a longitudinal direction such that magnetic fields either within the respective magnets and/or emanating therefrom are oriented in mutually opposite directions, with magnetic lines of force within the respective magnetic fields pointing in mutually opposite directions. The magnetizable items (which are magnetically neutral) are thereby attracted by greater force than when magnets are arranged with magnetic force lines all pointing in the same direction. The magnets are additionally arranged such that one of the magnets adjacent a longitudinal end possesses greater strength than the other of the magnets, so that the magnetic lines of force are stronger at the longitudinal end thereby attracting the magnetizable items towards the longitudinal end. Thus, not only are the gem clips attracted with greater force in the clip case or holder of the present invention, but the magnetic force lines of the magnets also have a greater strength towards the top of the case or holder and weaker strength towards the bottom. As a result, it is possible to improve ease in withdrawing gem clips from the case or holder than in conventional clip cases or holders utilizing two or more magnets of identical strength. In other words, when magnets at the top and bottom of a clip holder possess the same magnetic strength, e.g., as in HEI.-2 (1990)-85184, the various magnets will mutually attract the gem clips with the same amount of strength and thus function unsatisfactorily. Moreover, when the bottom magnet possesses great strength, it will powerfully attract the gem clips and fail to release them. In contrast, in the present invention, when the bottom magnet has a relatively weaker strength and the top magnet a relatively greater strength then the powerful top magnet will attract the gem clips upwardly, improving ease in ability to remove clips from the holder or case.